Conventionally, there is widely used a vehicle display device for transmitting the image light of a display image, which is luminously displayed on a screen by lighting of an indicator, through a display panel to be capable of being visually recognized from a front side thereof.
According to the configuration disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1, the surrounding part of a transmitting window through which the image light is transmitted is shielded by a light shielding part on a rear side of the display panel, and an embossed surface to which the light source light is guided is formed on a rear surface of the display panel. As a result of such a configuration, at the time of lighting of the indicator that luminously displays the display image, the irregular reflection light of the light source light by the embossed surface is stronger than the image light passing through the boundary between the transmitting window and the light shielding part, so that the visual recognition from a front side of the boundary can be inhibited. At the time of extinguishing the light of the indicator when the luminous display of the display image is stopped, the external light entering from a front side of the display panel into the transmitting window is reflected by the screen of the indicator and is diffused by the embossed surface. On the other hand, the external light entering from the front side of the display panel into the surrounding part of the transmitting window is absorbed by the light shielding part of the surrounding part. As a result of the above diffusion and absorption, both the external light entering into the transmitting window, and the external light entering into the surrounding part of the transmitting window do not easily return to the front side. Accordingly, the visual recognition of the boundary between the transmitting window and the light shielding part from the front side can be inhibited. By this visual recognition inhibitory effect, the inner part and the surrounding part of the transmitting window can be displayed seamlessly with a sense of unity. As a result, the attractiveness of appearance as the vehicle display device can be enhanced.